The article begins by comparing the athletes who participate in the Special Olympics to those who participated in the Bejing 2008 Olympics. The main focus of Long Time Coming is recognizing and awarding Eunice Shriver for her lifetime dedication to the Special Olympics. When the writer attended the banquet to honor Shriver, he encountered several other significant figures who support the Special Olympics. During his discussions with them, he discovered the relationships that these people had formed with the Special Olympics and why the organization is so important to them. The article was written from a personal experience with some past biases.
I intend on using this source for information about the Special Olympics' past and origin. Through finding this source, it gives me several significant people in the formation of the organization. I will be able to then use them as other areas to research within the Special Olympics to see what contributions they have made. Also, it gives me a chance to view an outsider's position on the Special Olympics, without being colored by my own personal feelings. He is knowledgeable about sports, but also only slightly familiar with the games. I hope to use this source as a launching board and also use some of its information in my mini-ethnography.
"Small Steps, Great Strides." Sports Illustrated. December 8, 2008. Academic Search Premier. EBSCO. 10 February 2009. http://web.ebscohost.com/ehost/detail?vid=4&hid=104&sid=f4249f96-0544-4c2b-803f-7517c6a70547%40sessionmgr108&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZQ%3d%3d#db =aph&AN=35553187>.
Small Steps, Great Strides is about the origin and impact of the Special Olympics worldwide. The Special Olympics was founded through a Shriver-Kennedy commitment. The founder, Eunice Shriver, had a sister who was intellectually impaired. She was then motivated to "make some noise" and become an activist for those with disabilities. The organization grew through a series of camps and sporting events. Eventually, it reached across the oceans and into foreign lands that claimed they had no citizens with disabilities. Through the work of the Special Olympics, information and knowledge has been spread to far lands and growth has taken place. Developments of the rights of those with disabilities and in the medical field have transpired because of the Special Olympics. The organization has reached out to bring people of all different backgrounds and lifestyles together.
This source was a very interesting and helpful read. I intend on using it as proof of the many different ways in which the Special Olympics has impacted modern culture and the way our society thinks. Before reading this article, I was unaware of how many countries participated in the Special Olympics worldwide. The article also detailed the various sports that the athletes participate in. This could be helpful to know because the athletes at my field site do not participate in all of the athletic events. Reading the article has helped me create some interview questions and given me a better understanding of my field site.
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